Pastor Ricky Powell

The Church Is Not What Many People Think It Is

The Church is not a building for weddings and funerals. The Church is the body of Christ. It is the community of the redeemed for which Christ died. Believers gather together for worship, for ministry, for building one another up, for confession of sin, for prayer, and for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. We gather to celebrate baptism as people trust Christ as Savior. We gather around the Lord's Supper table to celebrate His death which made possible our union with him and with one another. The Church is made up of imperfect people who have experienced the redeeming grace of God. The Church is on mission in this world to tell everyone the Gospel of Jesus and to make disciples. Jesus loved the Church and gave Himself for her on a bloody cross. Therefore, I love the Church and will dedicate my life to playing my part in the local expression of it. Will you?

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.” (1 Corinthians 12:12–26, NLT)  

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3 Ways Off-Campus Life Groups Are Beneficial

Off-campus Life Groups for adults are a fairly new option for us at FCBC. We have only been offering this option for the last several years, but nearly 150 people now meet each week in these groups! Here are three reasons off-campus Life Groups are beneficial to our mission to help people love God, love others, and serve the world.

1. Beneficial for the Group.

A home is more personal and relaxing than a classroom. Some people feel anxious about walking into a classroom setting with rows of chairs and a podium up front for the teacher. However, you can teach the same content in a living room and suddenly the participants relax and open up. Conversations flow freely. Masks fall off. A spirit of hospitality permeates the group. An off-campus group doesn’t feel as “churchy” to many people. Instead it feels like real life with friends and neighbors who happen to be studying the Bible together, praying together, and building friendships. People can be authentic about their questions, struggles, needs, and hope. Andy Stanley describes this phenomenon when he states, “Life-change happens better in circles than in rows.”

Of course, an off-campus group can meet in a coffeehouse, a restaurant, a bookstore, etc. While these environments are not as casual as a home, they are less formal than a classroom.

2. Beneficial for the Church.

The church is made up of believers. The church is not made up of brick and mortar. We must not limit ourselves to the amount of space we have on our property to grow. At FCBC we only have 9 acres of land. Parking and classroom space is limited. We can only build a new worship center on our property before we are out of land. Some of our existing education space may have to give way for this expansion. We believe the Great Commission of Jesus commands us to never stop reaching people with the Gospel. We will not allow our facilities or land to limit our growth. That would be like allowing the shoe to tell the foot how large is can become.

Believers can gather nearly anywhere! When believers open up their homes they are modeling what the early church did for the first three hundred years of Christianity. When you view it this way you realize the church has nearly unlimited growth potential! Groups can meet any day of the week, at any time of the day or evening! We don’t have to spend millions of dollars on more land and new buildings to foster growth. In the future we will give our best on-campus space to our senior adults, preschoolers, children and students as we continue to grow by forming off-campus Life Groups. The money we save can be invested in helping more people through our ministries and mission partners.

3. Beneficial for the Neighborhood.

We are discovering that many of your neighbors and friends who are not connected to a church are more comfortable attending a gathering in your home than a formal classroom environment at church. I am convinced that when people experience authentic Christian community in a small group of Christ-followers that it will cause them to want to know more about the love of Christ. I look forward to the day when every area of Jacksonville is dotted with our Life Groups! I’m not kidding or exaggerating. God has called FCBC to take it to the streets, and that’s what we are going to do! Imagine hundreds of groups penetrating the neighborhoods of Jacksonville. Imagine the people who will come to your group who might not come to a church campus in the beginning. Imagine this city covered with Christ-centered Life Groups!

Within five years we will have 80% of our adult groups meeting off campus. We are not going to force or split your current group. However, I am asking you to consider joining or starting an off-campus group to help us reach more people with the Gospel than ever before. By being in an off-campus group you can worship each Sunday, serve in a ministry each Sunday, and participate in your group during the week. And you will help us reach more people for Jesus! Contact Pastor John Shultz to learn more about this movement of God. Be a part of the miracle that God is doing through this church!